In a preliminary hearing that began Tuesday, prosecutors presented disturbing details surrounding the alleged murder of Celeste Rivas, whose body was discovered in a Tesla registered to singer David Burke, known professionally as D4vd. The hearing, held in Los Angeles, aims to determine whether Burke will stand trial on charges including first-degree murder.
LAPD criminalists and medical examiners offered testimony revealing the grim nature of the case. Lisa Lahendro, a criminalist with the Los Angeles Police Department, described photographs of Rivas’ clothing found with her remains. She identified items including a Victoria’s Secret thong, a Forever 21 tube top, and leggings, all notably wet, heavily soiled, infested with insects, and emitting a strong odor. Investigators also recovered black fabric from a trash bag in Burke’s garage that appeared to match the clothing.
Deputy Medical Examiner Grant Ho testified that Rivas’ body was “markedly decomposed” at autopsy and weighed only 71 pounds. Prior to Ho’s testimony, Rivas’ parents left the courtroom, which had been shown graphic images of the victim’s decapitated and mutilated remains. Photographs depicted dismembered limbs sealed in trash bags, a torso and head in a partially unzipped body bag, and severed hands missing fingers.
An LAPD homicide detective detailed the discovery scene, stating the vehicle’s trunk contained a partially unzipped body bag with the torso and head, while extremities were missing. Additional forensic testimony outlined conditions inside the Tesla, including a strong odor consistent with decomposition and the presence of at least 11 air fresheners dispersed throughout the vehicle.
Another LAPD criminalist testified about evidence found at Burke’s Hollywood Hills residence, where blood was detected on brick floors beneath mats in the garage. Burke was arrested on September 17, 2025, and charged with first-degree murder with special circumstances, including lying in wait, killing a witness to an investigation, and murder for financial gain. Additional charges allege lewd and lascivious sexual acts with an individual under 14 years old and mutilation of a human body.
Financial testimony provided by Lewis Poimiroo, senior vice president of finance for Interscope Records, revealed that Burke continued to earn income totaling approximately $2.77 million in 2025, months after Rivas’ death.
According to court documents, prosecutors allege that Burke used an Uber on the night of April 23, 2025, to bring Rivas from her family home in Lake Elsinore to his residence in Hollywood Hills, where he then stabbed her and allowed her to die from her injuries. The preliminary hearing is expected to last three to five days, after which a judge will decide whether the case proceeds to trial next year.